How to end the mainline wire?

[Bruce L]

I have always looped around a tree(non maple if possible) with some blocks of wood under the wire so the wire won't girdle the tree right away. I see anchors in Leader's catalogue that you screw into the tree like a lag bolt with what looks like a wire insulator on it, would this be a better route to go, or will it do much damage to the tree?

[Moser's Maple]

Bruce...I actually use both techniques. if i can end by a small tree I'll loop it with my wire, but instead of using wood I slide my wire in 5/16 tubing so it won't grow in the tree. where I have to anchor to a big tree I use the insulated anchor so I don't have to use as much wire. this is also handy because you can always unhook the main if you need to get in near the end. now I was told once the insulator was used so a lightning strike would travel down your main line wire and ground on something it's not supposed to. i honestly have no idea if this is true, but it seems I end up buying the insulated lags anyways...dunno way....i just do

[lpakiz]

I use the 90 degree lags with an insulator. I feel the insulator makes a little larger radius than just looping the wire around the 5/8 diameter vertical stub. Seems it would be easier on the wire, not such a sharp bend.

[twobears1224]

in my opinion the only way to put up mainline wire is to use the lagbolt with the insulators on them.use a 5/16 drill to make a hole in the tree then screw them into the tree till all the treads are in the tree.i wiggle my drill around the very start of the hole to enlarge it.that makes it easier to screw in.to screw them in I put a wrench on the nut.once the insulator is in wrap the wire around it atleast twice..on the other end I put 1/8 inch cable on my wire tensioner.i have a loop of cable big enough that I can just drop it over the insulator..i do that so I can take everything down quick if I need too.
we switched from wrapping wire around trees to insulators after my dad lost several hundred feet of 3/4 inch mainline to a lightening strike.it turned the wire white hot and melted right thur the tubing.it even melted several feet of the wire completely.we also use a insulator on the side tie wires to hold the wire away from the tree..they have a lagbot too and the insulator is like O shaped with a slot in it to get the wire in it.we put one on the back of the tree and one on each side..i,ll get some pics for you guys if interested??
a little FYI..the lag insulator are hard to find at a good price..i found mine at a AGWAY store for around $15.00 for a box of 10..cheapest I could find.the other insulators I but at tractor supply..i can,t remember how much they are.

[red maples]

doesn't matter really. I use 3/4" tubing around the mainline wire at the end tree it just creates a larger area again the bark of the tree and wire is cheaper than lag bolts and its just another thing to have on hand and get in the way at the sugarhouse. just my opinion. I use the 5/16 tubing for side ties being I am using a lighter wire.

[I Luv Stainless]

When installing a new mainline, I run mainline wire around the tree in tubing.
I always seem to want to 'tweak' the height of mainlines for a few seasons and looping it makes it much easier to adjust.

However, once a few seasons have passed and I am happy with the setup, I switch to a lag-eye.

As the tree grows, you can back them out.

[BreezyHill]

I only use drive rings that you can get from ebay for around $1 each.

I use an instrument to set our 2% slope as we are rather flat running across the slope of our bush to the sugar house.

My dad girdled a few trees in the past by leaving plastic baler twine on maples to mark trees that needed tapping. That ended wrapping around trees forever.

When setting tubing I have a milk crate that has a screw gun with an old tapping bit, 5# sledge and the drive rings. The old bit sets a pilot hole her in an inch or little more. As the tree grows or you retube back it out.

I try to only use maples as all other trees are subject to removal to increase the maples canopy space and any trees below our canopy tend to do poorly or die. It also is a short lateral run for those taps too.